Curtain-stretcher



J. BARRY.

CURTAIN STRETCHER.

APPLlcATxoN FILED MAY1.1920.

'Patented Aug. 30,1921.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A TIORNE Y.

v E y v yI. BARRY.

CURTAIN STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY7l 1920.

215389,43 1 I v Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOS E P/r A/ Y 1 N VEN TOR- A TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BARRY, OF SHARON, PENNSYLVAIA.

CURTAIN-STRETCHER To all Iwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Josnri-i BARRY a citizen of the United States, residing at bharon, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Stretchers, of

which the following is a specification.

guiding' said bars and clamping them in any desired adjusted position.

Another object of the invention is to provide supporting means for the frame which may be adjusted to fit the adjustment of the saine and consequently obviate the necessity of leaning the same against a wall or any other like structure to obtain a support for the same. y

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above nature which is strong, durable, inexpensive to manufacture and is highly efficient in practice.

Other objects and advantages of the inven- .tion will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the application and wherein like nu merals are employed to designate like parts throughout the-several views,

`Figure 1 is a front elevation of the stretcher assembled.

Fig.vr 2 is a transverse section taken through the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section through one of the curtain engaging inem` `bers and a clamp therefor.

Fig: 4 is a back elevationiof thesame.

Fig. 5 is a back elevation of the complete structure in assembled position, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail showing the manner of associating the supporting means with a curtain stretching frame.

Referringto the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the premera] 12 islseicured to each Specification of Letters Patent. Patltd Allg. 30, 1921. Application filed May 7, 1920.

Serial No. 379,576.

fer-red embodiment of the invention, the numerals and 8 designate the top and bottom curtain engaging members respectively, in their entirety, and the numerals 9 and 10 designate respectively the end curtain'engaging members. Each of the curtain engaging members consist of a pair of bars 11 which will be referred te as inner and outer bars and they are longitudinally adjustable of each other and'have their longitudinal adj acent edges slidably engaged. In order that these bars may be retained in any desiredadjusted position with relation to one another a clamp designated in its entirety by the numember and slid ably engages its coacting bar. Each clamp consists of a pair of a'djustably associated jaws 13 and 14, the jaw 13 being the longest and theone which is usually secured to one of the bars. This jaw has its free end overlapping the back of its coacting bar 11 and this extended end is provided with Van'outwardly projecting pin 14.- upon which is eccentrically mounted a disk 15 having an operating handle 16. The coacting jaw 14 of'the clamp is equipped with a slot 17 in which operates the pin 15 of the coacting jaw and at each end this slot is provided with an abutment 18 which are adapted to be engagedby the eccentric disk 15 for spreading` or closing the clamp as the case may be. The jaw 14 of each clamp is therefore the movable one and when the portion of the eccentric 'disk most remote from its pivot engages the end of the jaw 14 adjacent its coacting jaw, the movable jaw is urged inwardly te bind the two bars 11 together. It will benoted that one clamp 12 is provided adjacent each end of the curtain engaging members, so that the two bars constituting a curtain engaging member may be adjusted longitudinally to their extent.

As 4will be appreciated more from Figs. 1 and 5, the upper and lower curtain engaging members are pivotally connected to the end curtain engaging members, `the outer bar of the end member 10 having secured thereto and projecting laterally therefrom within the frame a plate 19. To this plate is pivotally connected a coperating plate 2O which is rigidly secured to the inner bar of the top curtain engaging member. As clearly seen, the inner end of each pivot plate projects, inwardly within the same a substantial distance to permit pivotal movement of `thetop member 7 and the end member lO.

In order that the lower curtain engaging member 8 may be pivotally connected to the end member 9, at a point on the frame diagonally opposite to that of the connection just described, an L-shaped plate 21 has one arm secured to the inner bar of the lower member, while the other arm of the plate is pirotally associated with the relative lower end of the inner bar of the end member 9. Int-his manner, it will be apparent that the top member 7 is pivotally associated with the end member 10 while the bottom member is pivotally associated with the opposite end member. In order that the free ends. of the top and bottom members may be detachably associated with the end members, both the outer bar of the upper member and the inner bar of one end member are provided with a plate 22 secured thereto. rlhese plates er;- tend longitudinally of their attached elements or bars and project a substantial distance beyond the end thereof to be pivotally associated with another curtain engaging member. rllhe plate carried by the upper member is pivotally secured as at 23 with the upper end of the end member 9 while the plate held by the inner bar of the end member 10 is pivotally connected as at 2l with the vadjacent end of the outer bar of the lower curtain engaging member. These pivotal connections 23 and 24 are established by removable bolts so that the stretching frame may be collapsed. As most clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, each bar is beveled outwardly from the coacting edges of the two bars, and as clearly seen in Fig. 1, these beveled off portions on the outer bars of the end members do not extend from end to end on the members, but provide recesses 25 in which the clamps 12 of the coacting bars operate. ln the present instance, the outer bars of the end curtain engaging members are extended to provide legs to engage the ground to assist in supporting the frame thereabove. rlhese extended portions of the bars are equipped with suitable scales or measures in order that the lower member 8 of the frame may be accurately adjusted to vary the width ofthe frame. The usual curtain engaging pins 26 are provided on each bar adjacent theedge thereof to coact with the pins of the cooperating bar, so that suliicient pins will be provided when the frame has been adjusted to accommodate curtains of the larger sizes.

A frame supporting leg designated in its entirety bythe numeral 27 has been provided to support the frame instead of depending upon supportingthe same against a building or the like. This supporting leg consists of an elongated bar or rodhaving a spike or ground penetrating point 28 on its lower end, while the upper end of the leg is pivotally connected with a frame engaging arm designated by the numeral 29. This arm consists of a pair of sections adjustably associated with one another in the well known manner.. whereby they may be adjusted longitudinally of each other. The relatixf'e upper section 8O of the frame engaging arm is provided with a forwardly projecting and upwardly inclined finger 31, as is the lower end of the lower section 32. llhesc fingers 31 are adapted to cooperate with the openings provided in the back ofA the bars constituting the upper and lower curtain engaging members. v lt will be noted that these openings 33 in one end of one bar are arranged in the end opposite to the end of the coacting bar in which the openings are provided. This :firrangement permits the supporting leg to be associated vwith the frame adjacent its center even though the latter has been extended to accommodate curtains of the larger sizes. An vadjuster arm 34 is pivotally connected one end to the lower end of the section 32 and its 0pposite end is adjustably associated with the supporting leg 27, whereby the angle of inclination of the frame engaging arm may be varied to meet the requirements for disposing the curtain stretching frame toward horizontal; plane.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that when the frame must be adjusted longitudinally, the clamps associated with the top and bottom curtain engaging members are loosened to permit the inner bars to slide upon the outer bars. In order to obtain the exact size, a scale may be provided upon the cooperatingv edge of the inner bars of the top and bottom members. After the desired adjustment has been made, the handles of the clamps 12 are manipulated to cause its free jaw 14@ to clamp upon its associated bar. In case it is desired to vary the width of the frame, the clamps 12 associated with the end members 9 and 10 are loosened to permit of the inner bars of the end members sliding downwardly upon the outer bars until the` desired adjustment has been obtained. i

When it is desired to store the stretcher away, the bolts which make the 'pivotal connections 23 and 24: are removed, which causes the upper member to be carried by the end member 10, and the lower member to be carried by the end member 9. Due to the pivotal connectionsv of these partsv as heretofore set forth, it will be appreciated that the upper and lower members may be swung inwardly at their respective end members whereby the collapsed stretcher will Vonlyr occupy a small space.

rlhe foregoing description and the drawings have reference to the preferred embodiment of my invention. Itis to be understood however, that such changes may be made in 'construction and combination of parts, ma-

terials, dimensions, etc., as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A curtain stretcher comprising a frame including longitudinally adjustable longitudinal and transverse members, each member consisting of a pair of bars longitudinally adjustable, said members being pivotally connected together at a pair ot diagonally disposed corners of the frame, and said members being detachably connected together at the other pair of diagonally disposed corners, whereby the coacting longitudinal members may be disposed beside their coacting transverse members when folded.

.2. A curtain stretcher comprising a frame including longitudinally adjustable longitudinal and transverse members, each member consisting of an inner and outer bar adjustably connected to the other, one longitudinal member being pivotally connected to the outer bar of one transverse member, and the other longitudinal member being pivotally connected to the inner bar of the other transverse member, the pivotal connections being such as to permit the longitudinal members being disposed beside the coacting transverse members when folded. 8. The combination with a curtain stretching frame; of a supporting frame including a supporting leg, an adjuster arm adjustably connected to the supporting leg, and adjustable means connected to the upper end of said leg and to said adjuster arm and having means for associating the leg and arm with the curtain stretching frame.

4l. A curtain stretcher comprising an adjustable frame including a pair of spaced members each having a plurality of spaced openings, a supporting leg associated with the frame and having a pair of oppositely disposed lingers for engagement with a pair of openings in said members.

5. A curtain stretching frame comprising a pair of spaced members each having an opening therein, ya supporting leg, a frame engaging arm pivoted to the upper end of said leg, and an adjuster arm pivotally connected to the lower end of said frame engaging arm and adjustably associated with said leg.

6. A curtain stretcher comprising an adjustable frame including a pair oi' members adjustable relative to each other, a supporting leg, a frame engaging arm pivotally connected to said leg and including a pair of adjustably associated sections, and an adjuster arm pivoted to the frame yengaging arm, and adjustably associated with said leg.

7. In a curtain stretcher, a pair of longitudinally adjustable bars, a clamp associated therewith and comprising a pair of relatively adjustable jaws for retaining the bars in operative relation, one of said jaws having a pin, the other having a slot through which said pin projects, a cam associated with said pin, and means on the slotted jaw for cooperation with the cam whereby the jaw may be adjusted relatively.

In testimony whereof I aHX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOSEPH BARRY. Witnesses:

JENNIE GOLDEN, Jnssn Gr. WORK. 

